Battle in the Big Friendly: Second Team All-Tourney 15U
As we saw with the first team performers, the talent on display in OKC last weekend was far above average – some of the best in the nation, honestly. The margin between first and second team was razor thin. There…
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Continue ReadingAs we saw with the first team performers, the talent on display in OKC last weekend was far above average – some of the best in the nation, honestly. The margin between first and second team was razor thin. There was so much talent in every age division that choosing these teams was actually very difficult. Here are the Second team All-Tourney performers from the PGH Circuit stop in “the Big Friendly.”
Taryn Cottrell | 6-0 G/F | Oklahoma Swish 2024 | Noble High, OK | 2024 | @CottrellTaryn
Cottrell does everything a coach could ask from a big and more. She is a good rebounder who, when surrounded in the post after getting the board, often looks to kick the ball out to the open man instead of going right back up with it. This leads to a lot more points for her team being that a guard is more than likely open when the opponent has crashed the boards. Taryn honestly plays more like a six foot tall guard. Several times during the weekend she used quick hands to either steal the in-bounds pass or just straight up pick the pocket of the opposing team’s point guard. She hit her free throws at an incredibly high percentage and this shows that she could begin hitting three pointers at a very high percentage as well. When that happens, look out! Taryn Cottrell is going to be dangerous.
Kayten Donley | 5-11 G | Team Buddy Buckets 2024 | Bethany High, OK | 2025
Donley has tremendous size and length and was playing up as a 2025 on a 2024 team. She has so many tools that it is almost unfair for a kid that young to be that good. In fact, the whole 2025 class in Oklahoma could be one of the best classes we’ve seen in a very, very long time. Donley can play inside and outside with her length and she can do everything a coach would want while playing either. She is a shot changer and racks up the blocks inside. She can step out and hit the three or use tremendous quickness to blow by her defender. She is an all-around great basketball player and the sky truly is the limit for her.
Brynlee Brown | 5-7 PG | Oklahoma Utmost Basketball 2024 | Catoosa High, OK | 2024 | @brynleebrown0
I saw Brynlee playing for Catoosa in the playoffs last season and had to track down her father to ask who she was playing grassroots ball for. Imagine my surprise when not only does she play for Oklahoma Utmost, but Oklahoma Utmost is on the PGH Circuit! I was pumped. It meant I got to watch her play even more. It seemed like over the course of the weekend Brown got better and better as she got comfortable with her team and her role in the offense. Eventually she began showing the same outstanding dribble-drive ability that I had seen during the high school season. She goes hard to the rim, dishing it out to the wing if the need arises. She can also step out and hit the three. Basically, she can do it all offensively and is no slouch on the defensive end. I look forward to seeing more of Brynlee and Oklahoma Utmost as the PGH Circuit progresses.
Ella Watson | 5-8 G | Shock 2024 | Little Rock Christian, AR | 2024 | @Ellawatson2024
Watson is a flat-out baller. She knows how to score. Period. She can drain the three, but honestly seems like she prefers showing off her handles and quickness and getting to the rim where she more often than not makes the bucket and draws the foul. Watson is long and moves very well. She and her whole Shock team are fun to watch, especially as they began to really gel as the weekend progressed. At future stops on the PGH Circuit, you’re not going to want to miss this Shock squad. Head coach Ruben Diaz always has a good team and as they get more time together, they will be contending for the PGH Circuit Championship. Watson’s scoring ability will be a big part of the reason why.
Hannah Gibbons | 5-9 G/F | Missouri Flight 2024 | Greenwood Laboratory School, MO | 2024
Gibbons is an absolute scoring machine who scored in double digits in almost every game of the weekend. She knows how to get to the rim with a great crossover move, very good handles, quickness and a nice floater in the lane. She can do it all from an offensive standpoint and is also a very good defender. She has great lateral quickness allowing her to stay in front of opposing guard. She also has a very high basketball IQ that she uses to diagnose the play a lot earlier than other freshmen I have seen which enables her to rack up the steals or to just disrupt the offense of the opponents. Gibbons is a baller and you’re going to want to get a look at her down the road.